Man charged with child porn is accused of placing hidden cameras in bathrooms

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) - A Fargo man is in the Cass County Jail facing child pornography-related charges, after investigators say he installed hidden cameras in several homes.

Jeffery Albert Lapointe is charged in Cass County Court with three counts of possession of certain materials prohibited, also known as child pornography. Investigators were first made aware of potential child pornography in July 2023 after a woman saw videos on Lapointe’s phone that concerned her.

The woman asked Lapointe about the videos on his phone and says he admitted to installing a hidden camera in a bathroom at a home in North Dakota. According to court documents, videos captured a young girl in the nude about a dozen different times. Court documents go on to say Lapointe admitted to searching for child pornography on the “dark web” and currently works from home in an IT position.

Lapointe also admitted to installing a hidden camera in a ceiling fan in an office at his home while living in Louisiana, and in a family member’s home while on vacation in Colorado.

The woman who contacted law enforcement about Lapointe says he completed a factory reset on his phone, so she was no longer able to see what was on it. However, Lapointe said he was keeping his computer and other devices in a vehicle.

A search warrant was obtained for a vehicle located in south Fargo and investigators seized a computer, several SD cards and other devices. Investigators made contact with Lapointe and he agreed to an interview.

According to court documents, Lapointe admitted to recording a young girl in the bath and shower 10-12 times using a hidden camera connected to a USB charger. Lapointe also admitted to installing a hidden camera in a home in Colorado, where he captured videos of two young girls.

“Lapointe stated that he liked the 13-16 year-old females. Lapointe stated that he liked when they were beginning to develop,” investigators noted in court records.

When asked about inappropriate interactions with Lapointe, one of the victims said he walked in on her in the bathroom and had touched her breasts before, according to court documents.

Lapointe was arrested in Fargo on September 29 and made his first court appearance on October 2.

Copyright 2023 KVLY. All rights reserved.